Area of Inquiry III: Fostering Social Inclusion Through Community Housing

The NHS emphasizes social inclusion at the neighbourhood level as a priority for community housing.

Inclusion is defined as “reduc[ing] barriers that restrict the resources and opportunities of disadvantaged groups.”By definition, adequate housing must facilitate access to “employment opportunities, health- care services, ... transit, schools, childcare centres and other social facilities.” The goal is to ensure future residents live in communities that are diverse, sustainable and supported “to build secure, productive and meaningful lives ... [and] participate fully in society and the economy.”This “place-based” approach is intended to prevent segregation of community housing residents, and to integrate new buildings into communities.

Locating community housing in “sustainable neighbourhoods” with “social and economic diversity, public transit, and pedestrian orientation” has been a difficult goal to realize.Instead, it tends to be located in lower-value, lower-amenity areas, as well-situated land is often prohibitively expensive to purchase and develop.Neighbourhood inclusion indicators such as accessibility, walkability, and proximity to services can be difficult to reconcile with affordability.

This can be addressed by mandating affordable housing in diverse neighbourhoods – e.g. through inclusionary zoning. Such actions may encounter local resistance and prejudice towards tenants as ‘anti- community.’Access to neighbourhood amenities is particularly important for lower-income residents, who may rely heavily on local services and resources.In turn, neighbourhood integration and accessibility have implications for wellbeing, safety, social connectedness and quality of life.

We ask: How can inclusion be conceptualized, measured and achieved in the community housing sector?

Area of Inquiry III has four objectives: 1. To investigate barriers to and opportunities for social inclusion within neighbourhoods and buildings 2. To develop a broader set of measures for neighbourhood-level inclusion, drawing on alternative framings of accessibility;81 3. To document community housing residents’ experiences of inclusion and integration 4. To examine how inclusion contributes to community housing sustainability (in terms of being people-oriented) and resilience (in terms of meeting tenant needs).

Area Lead

Julia Woodhall-Melnik, PhD

University of New Brunswick

Dr. Woodhall-Melnik's research experience centres on exploring employment and housing as social determinants of physical and mental health, addiction and concurrent disorders. Her work investigates the effectiveness of publicly funded rehousing and housing loss prevention interventions on health and housing outcomes, employment and income.

Co-Investigators

Edward Hall, PhD

University of Dundee

Dr. Hall specializes in disability, learning disability, social inclusion/exclusion, and belonging.

Katie MacDonald, PhD

Capital Region Housing

Dr. MacDonald holds a PhD in Sociology and is Education Lead at our lead community partner, Capital Region Housing.

André-Anne Parent, PhD

Université de Montréal

Dr. Parent is an expert in social inequalities and public policy analysis.

Rob Wilton, PhD

McMaster University

Dr. Wilton's research is broadly concerned with the social geographies of exclusion. Much of his research has focused specifically on the experiences of people with disabilities.

Yushu Zhu, PhD

Simon Fraser University

Dr. Zhu's research focuses on housing and community issues against the backdrop of urbanization and globalization. She pays special attention to communities of immigrants, low-income populations, and ethnic minorities.

Partner

Community Partner

Graduate Student Opportunities

Interested in joining our partnership as a graduate student? We are now recruiting! Contact Us.

Master's Students

The University of New Brunswick and SSHRC are offering funding to support one Master's student. The Master's student will be supervised by Julia Woodhall-Melnik, who leads Area of Inquiry III.

McMaster's School of Geography & Earth Sciences & Faculty of Science and SSHRC are offering funding for one Master’s student. The Master’s student will be supervised by Rob Wilton.

PhD Students

The University of Dundee's School of Social Sciences is offering stipends to support one PhD student. The PhD student will be supervised by Edward Hall.

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